Hi, Maxxi! It's always nice to see a new swimmer around!

First things first - before you can work in a swimming plan for a good workout, you MUST first get comfortable with the breathing so I would make that my priority. In the meantime though, there are lots of things you can do that will not only give you a good workout but will also help you get stronger in the water while you're learning to breathe. Grab a kick board and practice kicking a few lengths of the pool. Kick both, freestyle and on your back. If you don't feel the burn in your legs after one or two lengths of the pool, kick faster. Also, you can get a good workout while developing your breathing skills at the same time by holding the kick board with only one arm extended on top of the kick board while your kicking, your free arm down by your side, your face in the water, and then turn your head to the side of your free arm to breathe and then return your head back into the water. Do this for a length and then for the next length, switch arms and breathe on the other side. Do it as many times as you like. Focus on how your turn your head to breathe. You don't want to be lifting your head out of the water. You want to turn it to the side (and slightly back towards your shoulder) just enough to catch a breath and quickly return your head back into the water.

You can also use swim fins to increase the resistance if you'd like.

You also have the option of using a swim snorkel. I don't normally recommend swim snorkels for beginners because they may become dependent on them and never learn to breathe correctly. However, they're fine to use when you want a good workout without having to be concerned about breathing as long as you use it as a supplement and not a replacement for learning how to breathe. A swim snorkel is not like a normal snorkel. It fits in front of your face instead of to the side like scuba snorkels. You can get them at swim shops or from Amazon. But if you happen to have a scuba snorkel, it would work too.

Pull buoys can help workout your arms. They fit between your legs and allow you to work the arms without your legs while keeping you from sinking. You may not be ready for a pull buoy on freestyle quite yet but you could probably use one for the backstroke.

Just try to see how far you can kick with a kick board, how far you can swim with a swim snorkel, and how far you can pull with a pull buoy before needing to stop and the next time you swim, try to go a little further. But whatever you do, don't stop the breathing exercises. You want to incorporate all of these things into a good workout and you especially want to wean yourself off of the snorkel if you decide to use one.

As far as the breast stroke goes, I would have to see it to know how to correct it but the general timing is pull, kick, and glide. If you don't have the glide, it's not a big deal, at least not right now. I don't glide on my breast stroke and I never have. I pull, then kick, and then go right into the pull. Someone else here may be more helpful on this one.

The only way to learn something is to keep doing it....

I have swam since I was little (gonna be 48 in a couple weeks), and as long as I keep my stroke form, I can zone out and not think about it....

But I help Scouts swim and find my self saying:
--> "breast stroke is the EASIEST stroke, to swim wrong (timing)".
--> "Swimming fast is about efficiency, not the big splash or arm speed"

---

That one's kinda like "if you can dodge a wrench......"

Breast stroke is timing (Kick, Glide, Pull, breathe, repeat - and not all at the same time). Make sure your arm strokes goes straight out away from your head and sweep/push behind you.... not out to the side. The basic shape is the "Ace of Spades" (tucking your elbows in at the start. The angle of your hands will help you pop your head out to breath when you need to (I breath every other stroke). Think long strokes, but start recovering when you are at about the should line... that's when your "frog kick will come in".

Also, side-stroke is easy to learn so you can start swimming laps.. It keeps your mouth out of the water so you can breath.

Don't know what happened......already

First all welcome to the fabulous world of swimming!

I can't really add much to the advice above (Mrs J1 says it all) except that keep going for lessons while you have the budget for it, and make sure you practice in between. Search youtube for videos - there are loads out there that will give you starter tips and instruction.

Any questions just come on here and ask and enjoy the water.